Types of Wine Chart: Red Wine, White Wine, Sparkling Wine

We’ve broken down types of wine into an easy-to-read chart. This types of wine chart will help you understand the major varieties of wines at a glance. It’s a quick insight into a wide array of wines so you know what you’re drinking and what goes with it.

We’ve broken down types of wine into an easy-to-read chart. This types of wine chart will help you understand the major varieties of wines. It’s a quick insight into a wide array of wines so you know what you’re drinking and what goes with it.

Wine is a very popular beverage that adults like to consume. Around 30% of drinkers say they mostly drink wine over other types of alcohol.

Types of Wine Chart

Save this chart so you can quickly glance at the different types of wine in each variety.

There are over a thousand different types of wine grapes, making for countless different types of wine. It can be overwhelming when you head to your local grocery or liquor store when you need to pick up a bottle.

Our types of wine chart will break down everything you need to know about fermented grape juice. Shop with confidence the next time you need to pick up some wine for a wine and cheese dinner party.

Also, check out our guide for serving wine. It covers everything from what glass to use, to the ideal temperature for wine varietals, and the proper fill.

Furthermore, check out how many ounces are in a bottle of wine as well as more info about wine sizes and proper pours.

Now let’s dive into the world of wines!

What Are the Different Types of Wine?

While there are countless varieties of wine, they can get broken down into three main categories. Let’s discuss what they are.

Red Wines

Red wine is made with a red wine grape. You can identify a red wine by its dark color, tannins, and fruit flavors. Red wines are usually made from black grapes that get fermented with skins, stems, and seeds. That’s what causes the red color.

White Wines

White wine is made with white wine grape. They are typically more refreshing and tart than red ones. You’ll notice aromatic notes, like citrus, fruits, and floral notes. White wines are also lighter in alcohol and body.

Rosé, Sparkling, and Fortified Wines

Rosé wines are pink or blush in color. They also don’t have a light of tannins like white wine, but they can tend to be dry. Rosés are a crowd-pleaser and a great choice for summer parties.

Sparkling wines are carbonated, giving them the nickname of “bubbly.” Champagne is a popular sparkling wine.

Fortified wines have added spirits, such as brandy. Fortified wines that have a lower alcohol content are categorized as dessert wines.

different types of wine bottles on a table

All About Red Wine

Red wines are made from purple or blue grapes. Their juice is colorless, but the wine gets its color when the skins mix with the juice. That’s what creates the reddish-purple color that we associate with red wine.

Tannins

Tannins are found in grape skins. They are the compounds that cause the dryness and bitterness that you find with red wines.

The tannins function as a preservative. Red wines that have a higher tannin count can age for more time than red wine with fewer tannins or white wine. The anthocyanins and tannins form sediments at the bottom of a red wine bottle, which can get removed by decanting.

Aging

Most red wines get aged in new oak barrels. This helps to add the aromas and flavors of the following:

Cocoa
Baking spice
Vanilla
Chocolate

Aging in an oak barrel can also soften the structure of the tannins. This results in the red wine tasting smoother.

Taste

The aromas and flavors of red wine will vary depending upon the grape used and the aging method. The fruit flavors you can find in red wines include:

Red Fruit: Raspberry, strawberry, red plum, red cherries, cranberry, and pomegranate
Blue Fruit: Blueberry
Black Fruit: Black plum, black cherry, blackcurrant, and blackberry

Red wines produced in a warmer climate tend to have jammier and riper fruit characteristics. In Old World red wines, earthy aromas like wet leaves and potting soil are common.

Varietals

Winemakers can create varietal red wines from one type of red grape. Varietal wines will include the name of the grape on the label. That’s more common in the United States, New Zealand, or South America.

The label might include the wine’s appellation, such as Burgundy. Some wine grapes will have a different name depending upon where the grape is grown.

Food Pairings

Red wines are a great choice for hearty dishes. Some meals you can pair red wine with include:

Pasta
Pizza
Steak
Hamburgers

The ideal temperature to drink red wine at is around room temperature or a little below. The tannins in red wine become bitter if it’s chilled.

Types of Red Wine

If a bottle of red wine is newer or darker, it’ll have more tannins. An older wine will taste less bitter and dry.

Bold Red Wines

Cabernet Sauvignon

Cabernet Sauvignon is a full-bodied wine that’s primarily planted in Bordeaux. It’s one of the most popular types of wine in the world. You’ll notice the taste of black cherry and black currant when you take a sip of this wine.

Malbec

Malbec is a popular red wine from Argentina. It’s known for its smooth cocoa finish and rich fruit flavors. Malbec pairs wonderfully with a blue cheese hamburger.

Chianti

Chianti is native to central Italy. Winemakers use the wine grape Sangiovese to make it. Some bottles might have a small number of other wine grapes in them.

Rioja

A Spanish wine, Rioja is primarily made from tempranillo grapes. Those grapes get blended with Graciano, Garnacha, and Marzullo to make this wine. They all work together to create a woody and plush wine.

Syrah

Syrah wine is typically made with just one grape. This wine is a drinkable wine with a full body. It has dark and deep fruit flavors.

Light Red Wines

Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is a light-bodied and dry red wine. At its inception, it was primarily planted in France. This wine has a low-tannin and smooth finish.

Nebbiolo

Nebbiolo wine calls the Piedmont region of Italy home. It has fruity flavors of raspberries and cherries. You might also notice the aromas of anise and rose.

Lambrusco

A low tannin red wine that origniated in Northern Italy. It’s made with a fmaily of very old grapes native to Italy. It has a very fruity, jammy flavor and is great paired with Thanksgiving dinner.

Gamay

Gamay is a light-bodied, dry red wine, similar to pinot noir. The grapes that grow in the Beaujolais are in France. This wine has a light flavor with strong floral aromas as well as cherry, plum, and raspberry.

Medium Red Wine

Sangiovese

Sangiovese is a very savory wine that gives you flavors of cherry with a slight hint of tomato. The flavor profile depends upon how and where the vines are grown. It tends to be a dry, sweet or semi-sweet wine.

Merlot

Merlot was traditionally used as a blending grape for Bordeaux wine. It’s now become a wine on its own. It’s a great wine to introduce yourself to red wines since it has a smooth finish and can pair with a lot of different foods.

Zinfandel/Primitivo

Zinfandel and Primitivo are the same names for a single grape. Zinfandel grapes are grown in California. Primitivo grapes are grown in Italy.

Zinfandel or Primitivo wines are wonderful for those looking for sweet red wine. It has fruit-forward qualities, such as strawberries and peaches.

Grenache

Grenache and Garnacha are the same types of grapes. If the grape is from France, it’s called Grenache. If it’s from Spain, it’s Garnacha.

Grenache isn’t a heavy wine. It has a high alcohol content that makes for a great dessert wine.

Try some of these red wine cocktails: Red moon over Manhattan, fall sangria, easy mulled red wine cider.